Italy Bans Plastic Bags in 2011

This is a great move from both an environmental and oil dependency standpoint….

As usual, that means the U.S. will be one of the last countries to follow suit…

Supporters of the law say plastic bags use too much oil to manufacture and take decades to break down in landfills. The Italian environmental group Legambiente estimates that the plastic bag ban will save Italy 180,000 tons of CO2 emissions, according to The Daily Telegraph.

“This marks a key step forward in the fight against pollution, and it makes us all more responsible in terms of recycling,” Italy’s environment minister, Stefania Prestigiacomo, told Agence France-Presse.

Other European cities have implemented similar measures, but Italy’s is believed to be the first nationwide ban on plastic bags on the continent. Many countries charge customers for plastic bags.

via Italy Bans Plastic Bags in 2011.